Somebody Save Me
by dleduddet
Summary: Set at the end of “Not in Portland”. Kate, Sawyer, and Carl arrive back on the beach and Kate deals with whether or not she should keep her promise and rescue Jack. Jack however, hatches his own escape plan.
1. Return

Title: Somebody Save me 

**Author:** dleduddet

**Rating:** PG

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Lost or any of the characters. I only own the creativity for this fic.

**Summery:** Set at the end of "Not in Portland". Kate, Sawyer, and Carl arrive back on the beach and Kate deals with whether or not she should keep her promise and rescue Jack. Jack however, hatches his own escape plan.

**Pairings:** Kate/Sawyer, a little tiny bit of C/C

**Note:** Well, this is my first Skate fic but hopefully you'll enjoy it. The idea has been floating around in my head since the end of the "mid-season" finale but now that I have a lead from the "mid-season" premier I'm finally getting around to writing it. Please read and review! Enjoy!

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The castaways on the beach awoke with the sun as it came over the distant mountains of the island. Waking up early was the only choice in this place, though there was not much to do.

Charlie sat up, bleary eyed and tired next to Claire who was still asleep. He pushed himself up off the ground and stumbled sleepily over to the cradle containing his favorite little person, Aaron.

"Hey buddy!" The Brit whispered as he picked up the baby. He kissed Aaron on the forehead and patted him on the back. Turning to his right, he saw Jin emerge from his make-shift tent.

Jin turned behind him and reached a hand out to his wife to help her to her feet. He kissed her good morning and smiled at her. It felt good to be a better husband, and now that her father wasn't there, he could be the best.

Sun, who was leaning on Jin with her arms around his neck, looked over her husband's shoulder. She noticed Sayid walking up the beach.

Sayid was thinking to himself. They hadn't been able to rescue Jack, Sawyer, and Kate. It wasn't the first time that one of his plans had failed, but he felt that he needed to do something more to find them. People needed the doctor. Sayid took a bite out of the mango in his hand. It wasn't exactly bacon and eggs but it would have to do for breakfast.

Sayid looked ahead and waved to Rose who was standing at the tarp they used to collect water.

Rose waved back to Sayid and chuckled to herself. It often surprised her how people she probably never would have talked to back home could be so friendly with each other in these circumstances. Rose bent over and picked up another water bottle and dunked it under the water. Bernard had a cold and she knew he should be drinking a lot of water.

Rose looked out at the ocean, deep in thought. But she saw something strange. Tripping in the sand, she made her way toward the edge of the beach with her hand shading her eyes. She wasn't the only person who had noticed the strange shape in the water either. People were gathering at the shore as it got closer and closer.

"What do you think it could be?" asked a pretty voice with an Australian accent and Rose turned to see Claire standing next to her.

"I don't know, child." She answered in her motherly way. "All sorts of strange things in this place. It's still too far away for me to see."

"It looks like a boat." Exclaimed Sayid. He was also shading his eyes and leaning over to squint into the sunlight.

"It is a boat!" shouted Charlie. "A sail boat!"

Everyone erupted in excited chatter. Was it just another fluke like the time Desmond's boat came back? Or were they finally saved?

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"I can see the island." Kate exclaimed and poked Sawyer hard in the ribs. He jerked his head and snorted.

"Ouch! Damn, Freckles! You tryin' to get your fingers stuck in my chest?"

Kate ignored him and looked down at Carl. He was still sleeping and she saw him twitch slightly and move his head back and forth.

The three of them had been sailing all night. After landing on the other side of the island, they had decided to get back in the boat and try to sail around to the other side, back to the camp.

All night Kate had been worrying about Jack. She knew she could never forgive herself for leaving him with the Others. She had been tossing ideas of how to save him back and forth in her head ever since the moment she promised she wouldn't. Jack knew she wouldn't just let him stay there. But she had promised anyways.

Sawyer stared at the back of Kate's head trying to read her thoughts. He knew she probably wasn't thinking about him. Her thoughts had probably drifted back to thinking about Jack. Jack. Jack. Jack. All anybody ever thought about was Jack.

The small boat was drifting ever closer to the island and he knew he should confront her now. There would be no time later.

"Hey Freckles?"

"Hmm?" She didn't turn her head.

"You thinkin' bout Jacko?"

He saw her head drop and she looked down into the boat. She thrust her arm out and let her hand drag in the water. She had such pretty hands.

"Uh… yeah I was."

Sawyer didn't answer. He was still staring at her hand in the water.

"Sawyer?"

"huh? Wha-?" He shook himself out of his mesmerized state.

"I said yeah." She turned to face him.

"Oh. Yeah. You want to rescue him don't ya?

"yeah."

"You promised you wouldn't, Thelma. We can't be going Jackass huntin' now. They just let us go. You wanna get caught again?"

"Sawyer. You know he would try to get you back. I can't just leave him over there. They'll do… horrible tests and things on him. Look at Carl!"

Sawyer sighed. "Look. I would go get him back, but you know we're no match for them! Do you want to end up in that cage again, Kate?"

Kate looked up. Sawyer never called her by her first name.

"The cages weren't _so_ bad." She said and blushed. She giggled when she saw Sawyer blushing too.

"You know," he said "we don't have to be in a cage to uhh… have a little fun."

"I-" Kate started to say, but turned her head when she heard a voice in the distance. She hadn't realized how close they had gotten to the island and now she could see all the survivors in a group on the beach. Sawyer stood up, waving his arms and yelling.

"WOO! The great adventurers are back, baby!" He yelled and Kate laughed.

Sayid and Desmond ran out in to the shallow water to meet the boat. Sawyer jumped down and helped push it onto the shore.

All at once the group of survivors rushed forward to greet the boat, asking questions, and pointing at Carl.

"Everyone calm down!" shouted Sayid over the commotion and taking charge of the chaos. He looked at Kate and Sawyer and then down at Carl who was finally awake.

"Who is he?" asked Sayid calmly, looking back up to Sawyer.

"This," said Sawyer, bending over and heaving Carl over his shoulder "Is Carl."

"We rescued him from the Others." Kate explained. "He's not well. They were doing all these… tests and..." Kate rubbed the heal of her hand over her eyes and Sawyer put his free arm around her.

"Look," he sighed "We'd love to chat with y'all, can you give us a little while."

"Of course." Answered Sayid, speaking for the group.

Kate and Sawyer exchanged a look and began to walk toward Sawyer's old shelter with Carl in tow.

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Well what do you think? I should have chapter two up pretty soon. Please review!


	2. You can't go back

Jack snapped out of his tired reverie and looked up to see his least favorite person of the day. All day he had sat, against the wall with his head in his hands and tried to think of his next step. Now, as he watched Juliet pull the door shut behind her, his mind went completely blank except for confusion. Juliet was the most confusing person he had ever met and he still wasn't completely sure how he felt about her.

"Hey… Jack. How are you fe-"

"You know what? I can't believe you can actually just… come in here and act like everything is normal!

"Jack we-"

"This is… I don't get it. You let Sawyer go. You let Ka-… Kate go. Now why can't I go? I did what you needed me for, just let me go back to the other island!"

"Jack there is no need to yell."

"What the hell is wrong with you people!? Of course there is a need to yell! I've been sitting in here all night and all day. Clearly you have nothing left to do with me. I fixed Ben, even though you clearly told me not to. And now I would just like to go back… God I'm so damn tired of sitting here."

Juliet glared at Jack for a moment. She seemed to be in great conflict with herself. Finally she sighed and cocked her head to the side.

"That is why I've come here." She said softly. "You have finished Ben's surgery and that is why we have no more use for you… _here._ There is no reason for you to stay in the Hydra any longer. Now, if you'll put this on," she thrust a brown sack toward him "I will take you to the place you'll be staying in from now on. Well, until we find a place for you."

Juliet stared at Jack calmly, still holding the sack out toward him. Jack stared back. Anything must be better than sitting in an aquarium.

"So," said Jack "so you just expect me to put that sack over my head, and let you take me wherever you feel like? Why should I do that, Juliet?"

"It is Ben's request. You'll be better off in this new… place."

Jack glared at her more, trying to read her thoughts. Finally, he stood up, snatched the bag out of her hand, and pulled it over his head.

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"Here we are!" exclaimed Juliet with mock cheerfulness in her voice. Jack heard a metallic squeak and was pushed through what seemed to be a doorway. Suddenly, the light flooded back to him as the sack was pulled off his head. Letting his eyes adjust to the new light, he stumbled farther inside of what seemed to be a cage.

Jack peered through the sunlight at his new surroundings. There was his cage and about five more in the little clearing of jungle.

"What is this?" he asked, turning back to Juliet who was still standing at the entrance.

"This is where your going to be staying for now." Said Juliet.

"Is this where you were keeping them? This is where you were keeping Sawyer and Kate?"

"Yes." Juliet replied and smiled. She then turned around and shut the door behind her, attached a large lock and turned the key, leaving Jack to sit again.

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"Carl." Kate whispered "Carl… hey, could wake up for me?"

Carl's eyes fluttered open and he knotted his eyebrows together as he stared up at Kate. Taking the bottle of water that she was offering him, he looked around and Kate watched as his expression turned to puzzlement.

"Where am I?" he asked "who are you?"

"I'm Kate and your back at our camp. Do you remember anything from yesterday?"

"…Alex"

"Yeah th-"

"Where is she?"

Kate sighed. "They… the blonde woman wouldn't let her come with us."

"Juliet?"

"Umm… I think so. She said that Alex's dad wouldn't like it if she came."

"Ben?"

"Yeah. Look, do you know anything about what's going on there?"

Kate watched as Carl squinted his eyes. He looked deep in thought. She knew that if she was going to rescue Jack, she needed to get answers about everything.

"Carl?"

"I don't know why they do it. They had me locked up in different places for a while. My dad wouldn't tell me anything."

"Your dad?"

"Yeah. My dad worked for them. Experimenting and stuff. I came with him and I lived there since I was about ten."

"Is that how you met Alex?"

Carl stared straight into Kate's eyes with such a piercing look that her breath caught in her throat.

"Yeah."

"So why are you being tested on? Didn't your father try to stop them or anything? He just let them do all those terrible things to you?"

"He's dead. He died about two years ago. They decided to use me as just another one of their guinea pigs."

"But you don't know what their doing?"

"I have no idea. Nobody would ever tell me anything. That's why I started spending time with Alex. The boss' daughter. I love her so much. But I always noticed something different between her and Ben. It's just… I don't even know. They are so different. I always have this feeling like he's lying to her."

Kate stared at Carl suspiciously. It was strange that he would give her so much information.

"So." She said, narrowing her eyes "Do you know how I can get Jack back?"

"You can't go back there."

"But I have to-"

"NO! I'm tellin' ya. You can't go back there!"

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Sorry it's so short. I wasn't feeling great today. The next chapter will defiantly be longer.

Please review!!


	3. not that strong

Note: Wow. Sorry it's been so long, but I haven't had time to write _anything_ lately. I know I promised a long chapter last time, but I must admit that this one is on the short side. So I promise _promise_ that the next chapter will be longer and I will try to keep up with this story. Cheers!

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Sayid Jarrah was an adventurous man. He was an intelligent man. He was a leader. No. Jack was the leader here, but now he was gone and Sayid wanted some answers. As he walked over to the fire where Kate was sitting with Sawyer and Carl, he began to plan out exactly what he was going to say.

"Kate, Sawyer, I need to talk to you." Sayid glanced at Carl who was staring into the fire "In private."

"Whatever you can say to them, you can say to me." Said Carl. "I probably know more than they do anyways."

Sayid sat down and stared at Carl, who was still looking into the burning fire. His face looked worn, yet he could only be in his late teens. And he spoke with a wise way, one that Sayid had never experienced before.

"Okay," said Sayid as he sat down "Tell me everything. We all deserve to know."

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As Jack sat in the dark against the bars of his cage, his thoughts turned to his father.

What would he think of me now? Sitting here in a cage, staring at a fish biscuit. He never thought I was a strong person. Everyone else did. But he was never fooled. I'm not that strong and he's he only one who ever saw through me. And I never respected him.

Jack looked down at the dirt and tears came to his eyes. There was one other person who knew how weak he was. Kate. He knew that she could see through the shell he had put around himself, Even if she didn't show it. And deep down, he knew that was why she had chosen Sawyer. He was stronger.

Suddenly it started poring down rain. Jack lifted his face and hands to the sky and felt the water wash over his tired, dirty body. For a moment, he forgot about his self-loathing and had a moment of joy to himself that one rarely ever experiences, especially Jack.

Suddenly, he was brought out of his thoughts and back to the island by a scuffling sound to his left. He jerked his head over and stared through the rain. He could make out a dark silhouette moving quickly toward the cage, and he pulled himself to stand up slowly. He watched as the shady figure moved toward the door of the cage.

"Who's there?" he called into the darkness.

"If you value your freedom, you'll be quiet." Came a familiar voice.

Jack moved to the front of the cage and watched as Juliet fumbled for her key in the dark. She looked up into his eyes and even in the rain he could tell that she was crying.

"What are you doing here?" he whispered.

"We're leaving. Me and you. I can't stay here any longer."

"Where are we going?"

"Back to your island, if they'll except me."

Jack glared at her. "Yeah Juliet, and what's to keep them from coming to get you there?"

"They can't go there, but I can." She said and finally got the lock opened. "Are you in?"

"I'm in."

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	4. escape

In a small clearing, in the middle of the jungle, Juliet and Jack had stopped to rest. Jack stood, hunched over with his hands on his knees, staring up at Juliet who was taking a drink of water. Rain still came down hard around them, and they were both soaked through and shivering.

"So why are you so special?" Jack said, catching Juliet by surprise. They had not spoken once, since they had started running over an hour before.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you said you can go to our island, but they can't. Why is that Juliet?"

"They can go to your island, just not your camp." Jack gazed at her expectantly, waiting for her to answer the rest of his question. "I can go there… because I'm not one of them."

"What?"

"They recruited me, for a job. Well that's what they told me anyway. I was told they were taking me to Portland, but they brought me here instead. I've been here for three years, and the whole time, all I've wanted to do is go home. I can go to the camp, because I'm not good. Not by their standards anyways. They are good."

"Good… what do you mean?"

"I don't know. I'm just not good."

Jack sighed. Now he was even more confused than before, and the rain was coming down harder.

"We've got to get going now, Jack." Said Juliet "They'll catch up with us soon."

"And how do you propose we actually get there?" asked Jack "Didn't Sawyer and Kate take the boat?"

"Yes, they took a boat. But they didn't take my boat."

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Sayid stared at Kate, Sawyer, and Carl in shock. After being told everything that had happened to them, he was frazzled over the meaning of it all.

"They made you work and break up rocks?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Yeah. For a few days." Answered Kate.

"But why?" wandered Sayid "Why would they go through all the trouble of kidnapping you two specifically, just so you could work like that?"

"Look. We have no idea, Jar Jar." Said sawyer, sighing "Now we've told you everything, can you just give us a break?"

Sayid glared at Sawyer and stood up. "Yes. I shall respect your wishes. Go sleep. I will tell everyone what you have told me. They are anxious to know."

"Thanks Sayid." Kate said, nodding and gave him a half smile. "Good night."

Sayid walked away and Sawyer turned to the other two.

"Well, boy howdy! What a night! If it's all right with you Carl Cakes, you can sleep here tonight and me an' Freckles are gonna go over to my tent."

"Fine with me." Said Carl.

Kate stood up and gave Sawyer a smarmy look. He offered her his hand and she took it. As they walked across the beach toward Sawyer's tent, she knew she had made the right choice.

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"Help me push it in the water!" Whispered Juliet to Jack, as she tugged the tarp off of a crudely made sail boat.

Jack ran through the sand on the beach where they were standing and started heaving the heavy boat into the shallow water. It moved slowly, but smoothly, gliding into the cool, salty ocean and he and Juliet jumped inside.

Suddenly, a gunshot rang through the night. Jack and Juliet both jerked their heads back toward the beach, then ducked as they heard the sound again.

"Damn you, Juliet!" screamed a harsh voice and Jack recognized one of the others, a man named Kyle, standing on the beach.

"Here." Said Juliet, and she slipped a shotgun into Jack's hand. "Shoot his radio."

Jack looked over at her, confused.

"What? Why?"

"Because! Then he won't be able to call the rest of them. It will give us a head start!"

"So why don't I just shoot him?" asked Jack.

"We can't kill him. Don't ask why, just trust me. You have to trust me! Now shoot it!"

Jack peeked over the rim of the boat and cocked the gun. He took aim and… missed. He heard Kyle swear and something cracked as the bullet hit it. He was still standing there so Jack took aim again and hit the radio, shattering it into pieces. They were getting farther and farther away from the island and he saw the shadowy figure of Kyle jump as he dropped the radio. One last gunshot rang out through the night, and then everything was quiet. Jack turned around in the boat, panting, and stared at Juliet.

"Why didn't you let me kill him?"

Juliet didn't answer. She stared into the bottom of the boat, keeping her eyes averted from Jack's face.

"Juliet, you need to be honest with me."

She looked up at him.

"He's my husband."

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Okay how was that? Hopefully it was long enough for ya, and the next chapter will be even better. And I promise there will defiantly be more SKATE!!!


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